Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 July 2019:
Sierra Leone’s macroeconomic situation remains challenging despite bold policy measures, according to the authors of a new World Bank Economic Update on Sierra Leone, published today.
The second edition of the Sierra Leone Economic Update (SLEU) was launched today by the World Bank at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown.
The SLEU is an annual publication that reports on and analyses recent economic developments, reviews regional and global contexts and analyses the implications for the country, and presents the medium-term outlook and prospects for the economy.
(Photo: World Bank Country Manager, Dr. Gayle Martin, launches the report).
This latest report rates the country’s macroeconomic situation as challenging despite the bold and courageous policy measures taken by the government.
The 2019 Update features a selected topic relevant to promoting inclusive growth and poverty reduction, namely ‘Financial Inclusion for Economic Growth and Development’.
Unlocking the bottlenecks to robust and sustained real economic growth through economic diversification and addressing pre-existing macroeconomic weaknesses will be crucial for building a resilient economy that promotes inclusive growth and reduces poverty, according to the new World Bank Sierra Leone Economic Update (SLEU) launched today in Freetown.
Growth is still low (3.7 percent), inflation and exchange rate depreciation are high (16.8 and 11.8 percent, respectively), the fiscal and current deficits are high (6.6 and 13.8 percent, respectively), and increasing debt has resulted in the country being downgraded from moderate to high risk of debt distress.
According to the SLEU, the medium-term outlook is promising, with economic growth expected to reach 5.2 percent by 2021, anchored primarily by supply side factors, including favourable agricultural output, uptick in mining activities and strong performance of the services sector.
Key risks to the growth outlook mentioned in the SLEU, include a deterioration in Sierra Leone’s terms of trade; lower than anticipated FDI inflows and the effects on the exchange rate and prices; fiscal slippages including adverse debt dynamics; and financial sector weaknesses.
The SLEU will be very useful and handy for policy makers, business leaders, development partners and analysts interested in Sierra Leone’s economy. (Photo above: L-R: World Bank Country Manager Dr. Gayle Martin; World Bank Practice Manager Abebe Adugna; Financial Secretary Sahr Jusu; Bank Governor Prof. Kelfalla Kallon; and IMF Country Representative Dr. Iyabo Masha.)
“There is an urgent need for Sierra Leone to develop a comprehensive strategy for deepening the financial sector and this is required to ensure poverty reduction, job creation, investment and growth in the country,” said Gayle Martin, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone.
“Whether Sierra Leone can promote sustained inclusive growth and reduce poverty depends on whether it can modify the structure of the economy to generate more and better-paid manufacturing and service jobs. That could be accomplished by facilitating creation by the private sector of formal manufacturing and services activities and increasing the productivity of the informal sector,” said Gayle Martin.
The special topic of the 2019 Update focuses on deepening the financial sector for inclusive economic growth and development. Usage of the financial system is low in Sierra Leone with only about 5 percent of adults using formal savings products and about 54 percent saving money within the past year.
Access to finance for enterprises is a significant barrier to growth of the private sector with 40 percent of firms indicating lack of credit as their biggest constraint.
Only 11 percent of Sierra Leoneans have mobile money accounts compared to 20.8 percent in Liberia, 38.9 in Ghana and 72.9 percent in Kenya.
“The government plays a key role in developing the financial sector through promoting resilience and stability. One of the key functions that needs to be established is an effective supervision and regulatory regime for financial institutions to address market failures like anti-competitive behaviour, market misconduct, information asymmetries, and systemic instability, which can negatively impact financial sector development, economic growth, and shared prosperity,” said Youssouf Kiendrebeogo, World Bank Senior Economist and one of the authors of the SLEU.
To address existing macroeconomic weaknesses and enhance economic growth, the Sierra Leone government should maintain the fiscal consolidation path, improve debt policy and management and intensify efforts to clear the large stock of arrears, says the Economic Update.
You can read the Second Edition of the Sierra Leone Economic Update (SLEU) Here:
2019 Sierra Leone Economic Update – Financial-Inclusion-for-Economic-Growth-and-Development
Sierra Leone government should encourage those wanting to do business in the country, by lowering sea port taxes not only for essential goods coming in, but also for those Sierra Leoneans returning to contribute to the welfare of their people in starting businesses. Also, to cut down too much protocols at the port to make easy for the people to clear their goods from the port.
Sierra Leone should work concertedly with other Mano River Union nations by prioritising local products within the region.